Though they are mainly a bunch of commie pacifist peaceniks with dangerous hair, I love my buds at the great punk label Epitaph. This year Epitaph is providing much of the firepower for the 10th anniversary of Vans Warped Tour.
I remember vividly going to the first Vans tour when it came through Cleveland in 1995. I was working at WENZ, The End, Cleveland's modern rock station that only lasted a few years before converting to "jammin' hip-hop and R&B." It was a blazing hot summer day, skate punks bouncing off all available surfaces, I broadcast live from our booth for a while and had a festive all-around time.
Now it's 2004, I'm remarried, have two more kids, and am 45. But it's okay, the punks are getting older too (nudge, nudge - Bad Religion, Lars). Rock 'n' roll never forgets.
- Rolling through 47 cities in 56 days, 2004 marks the 10th Anniversary of America's favorite and longest running tour in history - the VANS WARPED TOUR.
Incinerating the pack and representing today's best urgent expression of punk, psychobilly and underground hip hop are Epitaph's finest bands - BAD RELIGION, TIGER ARMY, ATMOSPHERE, THE BOUNCING SOULS, LARS FREDERIKSEN AND THE BASTARDS, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, FROM FIRST TO LAST, GUTTERMOUTH, MATCHBOOK ROMANCE, PULLEY, 1208 and THE MATCHES.
Sounding off with new songs from their upcoming cd The Empire Strikes First co-headliners BAD RELIGION kick it into high gear as radical ideas and revolutionary optimism make no essential distinction between prose, politics and rock 'n' roll. When this tour is over, Los Angeles won't be the only thing burning!
Kicking down the doors of mainstream 'bling, bling' mediocrity ATMOSPHERE backed by samples and infectious beats goes straight for the gut with the delivery of an existential storyteller who's heart felt view of life never fails to connect with real people. "Look at your face ... when all I could see was myself looking back at me ... reflection." When ATMOSPHERE hits the stage you'll see the road of modern day underground hip hop being paved with the same DIY ethos of first generation punk.
Also appearing on all midwest and east coast dates are American psychobilly hellcats TIGER ARMY bringing to you their atomic fueled nocturnally bent musical stylings from their forthcoming album Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise.
Other notable performers include Epitaph alumni THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, NOFX and a plethora of many others - NEW FOUND GLORY, COHEED AND CAMBRIA, FLOGGING MOLLY, ANTI FLAG, YELLOWCARD, THE VANDALS, RUFIO, AVENGE SEVENFOLD . . .
Article comments
1 - Jonathan
I have shoes that look just like that, I bought them for 10 bucks at value village.
...That's all I have to say.
2 - Eric Olsen
That was a good deal on the shoes - were they an off-brand?
3 - Bat Boy
I love the vans warped tour.
4 - SHEEEAAAAA
vans warped tour is amazinggggggg
im doing a speach on it in my english class
muhahaahahaha
maybe then even MORE people will go